Apple tells iPhone 4 owners to get a grip

[Minions]

I think what he is saying is that there is zero meaning to the bars, they are arbitrarily set up by the phone company and they have no real connection to your ability to make a call.

If you read the article it says that even with the attenuation that takes place on the signal strength while holding the phone the iphone4 still gets better reception and has less issues than the 3Gs and the other smart phone they tested.

The problem with that article is its one phone.... Unless you believe every single report of dropped calls is just fanboys. Different phones "seem" to have different reactions to holding them that way.

According to engadgets article the software is just reporting an additional 2 bars over what It should be. At least thats what apples letter said.

[Tyche]

Everyone who tests the issue is going to be in different locations attached to different towers at different distances. There's going to be differences. Only way to tell if you really have a faulty phone is to compare two iphone 4's in the same location hooked to the same tower. I really doubt there's a flaw where some hardware is faulty and some aren't, but there's really no way to prove or disprove it because of the way it's reported.

With that said, if you think you have a legitimately bad phone, 30 days to return. Take advantage.

[Minions]

Everyone who tests the issue is going to be in different locations attached to different towers at different distances. There's going to be differences. Only way to tell if you really have a faulty phone is to compare two iphone 4's in the same location hooked to the same tower. I really doubt there's a flaw where some hardware is faulty and some aren't, but there's really no way to prove or disprove it because of the way it's reported.

With that said, if you think you have a legitimately bad phone, 30 days to return. Take advantage.

All I am saying is your sample size is 1 phone for every article you link. To think it speaks for the vast millions of phones currently in use is minimal at best.

These tests are great for information, of "real world" antenna measurements. However, I will say this again. People have tested THEIR phones in DIFFERENT locations, with the same issues. Hold the sides => Drop calls. Not EVERYONE has the issues. Some people drop 0 bars holding it the exact way other people hold it.

There are ALWAYS factory defects, the question is on how large a scale are these defects, and wether or not the antenna choice makes the phone unusable for many people based on how they choose to hold the phone.

Don't be surprised if the class action lawsuit succeeds, though I don't know if you will believe there is an issue even if they do.

[Krandor]

Actually, it's going to report less bars, not hide bad service behind more bars. If you'd had read the review (and understood it) that I linked as well as the Apple article, you'd have known that. I expected better from you, Krandor.

There is no antenna issue, as I've stated for about a week now. Now we just know why people thought there was one. I'm the first one in line to rip apple and rip Jobs, but in this case, it's really a non-issue.

Was out the house but, I don't see Apple being trustworthy enough to actually implement it like they claim (intentionally showing customers that they have a worse signal), hence my comment. Apple's PR team (and Jobs) seem very adept at basing their innovations and features on half truths.

And I haven't seen 2 iPhone 4s next to each other trying this out, but yesterday in class we were comparing someone with a 4 and another with a 3GS, and doing the whole left hand thing was killing the 4s 3G, while the 3GS had no issues. There is also an AT&T antenna relatively close to where we were so they were definitely on the same tower (inside a brick building so the signal wasn't perfect, but still relates to what you said about being on the same tower). I've also had another friend have no issues with his iPhone 4, so situations are different phone to phone.

Considering how mixed the reports are on this I would definitely agree with this being a manufacturing defect, but either way this is something Apple needs to own up to.

[Tyche]

All I am saying is your sample size is 1 phone for every article you link. To think it speaks for the vast millions of phones currently in use is minimal at best.

These tests are great for information, of "real world" antenna measurements. However, I will say this again. People have tested THEIR phones in DIFFERENT locations, with the same issues. Hold the sides => Drop calls. Not EVERYONE has the issues. Some people drop 0 bars holding it the exact way other people hold it.

There are ALWAYS factory defects, the question is on how large a scale are these defects, and wether or not the antenna choice makes the phone unusable for many people based on how they choose to hold the phone.

Don't be surprised if the class action lawsuit succeeds, though I don't know if you will believe there is an issue even if they do.

I really don't think you are fully grasping the way the dBm metrics are reported. I can test my phone at work, and not have the issue. I can test it at home and have the issue. It depends on dBm and location relative to the tower. Of course different people in different locations are going to get different results.

[Minions]

I really don't think you are fully grasping the way the dBm metrics are reported. I can test my phone at work, and not have the issue. I can test it at home and have the issue. It depends on dBm and location relative to the tower. Of course different people in different locations are going to get different results.

Ok, and if you are having the issue then..... ITS AN ISSUE? That's the way I see it. If it is happening it is a problem, if they have no resolution for the problem then its a BIG problem. If they don't own up to it because they think they are superior to manufacturing defects then they deserve the lawsuit, and I hope they pay out the ass for it. The main issue is not the 4g's bars going away, its the fact you can be in a freaking call and then have it drop by adjusting your hand.

[Krandor]

Well let's settle at a midpoint then. Every phone will have an issue if you put your hand in the right spot. A friend's My Touch 3G Slide will lose a bar if you press your hand against the back of the phone.

The inherent "issue" with the 4 is that the point where you can cause the most attenuation is a position where alot of people will be putting their hand, so the problem will appear alot more widespread then with most phones. People are far more likely to hold a phone in their left hand and lose some signal then trying to make phone calls while pressing the back of the phone against their hand. That and Jobs reply obviously. Imagine how much of a non-issue this would have been if he didn't respond like the arrogant fuckwad he is.

[wagon]

Late to the thread...Apple is issuing a software update to fix a hardware problem to circumvent a product recall. I am surprised that I am not seeing more rage over this latest development.

[Tyche]

Ok, and if you are having the issue then..... ITS AN ISSUE? That's the way I see it. If it is happening it is a problem, if they have no resolution for the problem then its a BIG problem. If they don't own up to it because they think they are superior to manufacturing defects then they deserve the lawsuit, and I hope they pay out the ass for it. The main issue is not the 4g's bars going away, its the fact you can be in a freaking call and then have it drop by adjusting your hand.

Don't you get it...? It's a god damned ruse with the signal reporting

In reality (dBm reporting), I'm having the same issue at work that I am at home. I will drop the same amount of dBm with the same grip no matter where I'm at. Now, what will change is the amount of bars that I drop because apple or AT&T or whoever has a shitty ass algorithm for reporting bars.

AS I said, if there's any reason to be pissed, it's that someone has been inflating the iphones signal strength to make it appear that they have had more "bars".

[Minions]

Late to the thread...Apple is issuing a software update to fix a hardware problem to circumvent a product recall. I am surprised that I am not seeing more rage over this latest development.

I figured it was to make non tech news agencies report that the antenna issues were being fixed like I saw on the local news a few minutes ago.

[Minions]

Don't you get it...? It's a god damned ruse with the signal reporting

In reality (dBm reporting), I'm having the same issue at work that I am at home. I will drop the same amount of dBm with the same grip no matter where I'm at. Now, what will change is the amount of bars that I drop because apple or AT&T or whoever has a shitty ass algorithm for reporting bars.

AS I said, if there's any reason to be pissed, it's that someone has been inflating the iphones signal strength to make it appear that they have had more "bars".

So this signal reporting causes you to drop calls if you touch the side of your phone. Didn't know a problem reporting bars on the screen had anything to do with the actual call dropping.

[Krandor]

I figured it was to make non tech news agencies report that the antenna issues were being fixed like I saw on the local news a few minutes ago.

Yup, Apple has apparently been aware of this "issue" for years apparently, but only fixes it when a problem somewhat related pops up to try and fool people.

[Rhinox]

Was out the house but, I don't see Apple being trustworthy enough to actually implement it like they claim (intentionally showing customers that they have a worse signal), hence my comment. Apple's PR team (and Jobs) seem very adept at basing their innovations and features on half truths.

And I haven't seen 2 iPhone 4s next to each other trying this out, but yesterday in class we were comparing someone with a 4 and another with a 3GS, and doing the whole left hand thing was killing the 4s 3G, while the 3GS had no issues. There is also an AT&T antenna relatively close to where we were so they were definitely on the same tower (inside a brick building so the signal wasn't perfect, but still relates to what you said about being on the same tower). I've also had another friend have no issues with his iPhone 4, so situations are different phone to phone.

Considering how mixed the reports are on this I would definitely agree with this being a manufacturing defect, but either way this is something Apple needs to own up to.

Funny you say that because I'd wouldn't trust Apple or Google but in the end I can get a hold of an apple tech when I have an Iphone issue.

Try complaining about the Nexus one to google and see how far that gets you.

[Krandor]

Well I don't own a Nexus One so why would I be complaining to Google?

Besides, only electronics issue I've had in the last year was my laptop breaking apart at the hinges, and Dell is replacing my computer with free upgrades.

[Tyche]

This. Is. Serioooooous.

[Kurokikaze]

I'm just gonna wait for someone to post a video of them replicating the problem with 1-3 bars.

Sorry, but this seems like they are sweeping the dirt under the rug and calling the place clean. If this was just an issue with the phone reporting less signal than was actually available people wouldn't drop their calls entirely. The fact that this effects transmission, degradation and whether or not the call drops means its probably not going to be different after a software fix. Unless he phone is constantly checking how many bars it has to intentionally drop the call if it gets too low...

In shot what I'm trying to say is that... Software fix don't repair hardware defects.

Edit: After some thought... I realized what this changed: Who is to blame. "Um.. Reception problems with 3-5 bars? You should call AT&T."

[Velgadess]

if its been posted already, my bad, checked back a few pages, didnt see.


http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/03/s...ort-says-appl/

Earlier this week we reported on a story that had been doing the rounds -- another Steve Jobs email thread with an irate customer. Like many other stories about Jobs' emails to customers, this yarn centered around a user disappointed with his iPhone 4's service, and Steve's flippant responses. The first time we saw the story crop up, we were suspicious of its validity (and frankly, newsworthiness), and we became even more suspicious after AppleInsider ran an article claiming that the source of the supposed emails had been shopping the tale for cash (Engadget was not contacted by the source). We did eventually cover the story, but only after Apple itself responded to the tale, claiming -- first to Fortune and then to us -- that the emails were false, and the exchange had not happened. That struck us as particularly newsworthy, because in all our years of reporting on Steve Jobs' wild personal emails (of which there are many, many examples), we'd never heard Apple refute that the emails were coming from him.

Now, Boy Genius Report (where the original story appeared) has fired back, emphatically claiming that the emails are real, and that the proof is in the original message headers which the site has been given access to by the source. BGR goes one step further as well, and essentially accuses Apple PR of spinning this story to news outlets to suit its needs. And let's not mince words -- the claim is that Apple PR is lying to the press. The proof which BGR offers is no more or less convincing to us than the site's previous post on the subject; email headers and timestamps can be faked. Still, it is notable that Boy Genius is pushing back on this story, and we certainly don't believe the blog would knowingly publish a false email thread. As TechCrunch points out in its take on the matter, PR reps often give vague, sugarcoated, or misleading information to news sites, but there has never been a time when Apple's PR has outright lied to major publications (that we know of). That would be a mess of epic proportions, and we can't really fathom why they would go to the trouble. The company has obviously let stuff like this slide for years -- this seems like an odd time (and a relatively minor story) to get up in arms about it. We've reached out to Apple for further statement on this, and will report back as soon as we hear something. In the meantime, take a look at the source link and see what BGR has to say on the matter.


TL : DR
e-mail exchange between Mad Apple Fanboy and Steve Jobs
Mad Apple Fanboy: complains to Steve Jobs via e-mail about iPhone.
Steve Jobs: boo hoo
Mad Apple Fanboy: /rage
Steve Jobs: boo hoo

Apple responds to story
Apple PR rep: e-mails are fake, never happened
Boy Genius Report: no they is realz!

[kuronosan]

So what I'm getting from this whole situation is:

1) Jobs says there is an attenuation problem with the antenna from people gripping it, but that people will not be given free cases to compensate.

2) Now Jobs says the problem is that they were reporting the bars wrong.

Okay, now I'm not a dipshit when it comes to most things, nor do I have autism, but 1 + 2 does not add up to 3 here.

Clearly the problem with people saying calls were being dropped was that they were looking at full bars when there shouldn't have been, right? Fixing that doesn't fix the attenuation problem that the phone has. Plain and simple.

[miokomioko]

Steve Jobs is a complete and utter shit-fucking douchebag (multiple 2nd-hand experiences), but the iPhone4 issue isn't nearly as big a deal as it's being blown up to be. Steve isn't helping it by being his normal. All the boohoo claims are people either

A) Despise Apple
B) Despise Steve Jobs
C) Have Verizon
D) Can't Afford an iPhone
E) Are Simply Retarded and Need to Make a Stink
F) All of the Above

If you've played with one in your hands, testing the signal issues, and can be honest with yourself, you'll understand it's not a big deal. I have my 3G that's almost up for upgrade, and I want to wait until the issue is solved before I pick one up now that Apple is pretending to be "shocked" about it, but I would have been fine with it and bought one now if Apple denied it was an issue.

Hello Sony PSP shitty ass Square button.